Can the rise of nationalism in the European Union be understood as a form of contemporary ethnic conflict?

Description Neofunctionalists speculated that with the formation of the European Union, “economic integration would lead to political integration and the creation of a common ‘European identity’” (Fligstein et al., 2012). However, on the contrary to what many theorists predicted this common European identity has not erased beliefs of individual national identities in the EU, but in fact, it can be argued that it has been a contributing factor to the heightening of respective national identities in its different member countries (White, T.,2010). Increased interconnectedness between nations and societies (due to globalization) has become a reason of increased human insecurity, and as a result, created a security dilemma. We are witnessing an era of reaffirmation and heightening of individual and national identity and the power of the combination of religion and nationalism is powerful in the construction of these ethnic identities and conflicts worldwide. The issue of European and national identity has always played a heavy role in European politics. Events such as the 2007-2011 economic crisis, the Syrian refugee crisis, the Islamic terrorism in Europe, Brexit, and the Catalan nationalist crisis have all debilitated the European Union concerning its goal of greater integration within its states. The discontent within the populations of many countries has resulted in a rise of highly salient national identities within the EU. Many Europeans fear that the rise of nationalism could result in major destabilizing effects across the EU, resulting in political and economic shockwaves. To be able to understand why we are facing an era of increased European nationalist conflict, it is important to study the relationship between the creation of nationalist identities, ethnic identities and the relationship that religion has in shaping these identities within Europe. Using France and Spain as case studies, analyse different types of nationalist identities that are on the rise nowadays to determine whether the rise of nationalism in the European Union is a contemporary form of ethnic conflict. Write a dissertation answering the topic question and focusing on using France and Spain as Case Studies. Each Case Study should be at least 3,500 words long.